It's a LONG way to the TOP...

If you want to rock and roll!

Currently on Paragon Level 34 with my Barbarian on Inferno Difficulty, Monster Power 2.

Battle Tips: Mobility

Sun Tzu, the author of the world renowned The Art of War, has always favored speed and mobility over sheer brute strength.

For those of you unfamiliar with it, The Art of War is an ancient Chinese military treatise which has remained as the most important military treatise in Asia for the last two thousand years, so much so that even the common people knew it by name. Leaders as diverse as Mao Zedong, General Vo Nguyen Giap, Baron Antoine-Henri Jomini, General Douglas MacArthur and leaders of Imperial Japan have drawn inspiration from the work.

Sun Tzu certainly knew his stuff so, taking a leaf from his book, I developed several tactics when playing as my Barbarian character in Diablo III.

For reference, below are my character stats:

Slash and Move
Also known as Hit and Run, this is one of the classic tactics in gaming. As the name suggests, you damage your enemy then proceed move to a different position to avoid or reduce incoming damage directed at you via your former location. A very useful tactic, a true classic favored by Sun Tzu.

Avoid being Surrounded
This is easier said than done and, at times, sometimes downright impossible. High DPS, vitality, and armor (plus life regeneration) allow me to survive most in-game life and death scenarios but, as any gamer will tell you, sheer number will eventually overwhelm, wear you down, and kill you.

Know your Surroundings
The type of place you fight offer its fair share of advantages and disadvantages and knowing these can be the difference between life or death for your character. So, whenever possible, get to know where you're fighting (daunting, because some maps change randomly) and know where the exit is.

Always have an Escape Option
After clearing out a dungeon, I make a mental note of its location because I may need to use it as a handy escape hatch if I find that I've bit on more than I can chew, like when you're running away from one group of monsters and run into another horde. That cleared out dungeon is a life-saver.

Do you also feel the need for speed when battling demons and monsters? Let us know your technique in the comments below.

Diablo III Inferno, Monster Power 2

I just started Act 1 in Monster Power 2!

There's more of everything here, monsters and loot (especially the gold). My current stats and gear are coping well but it is just Act 1 after all. I'm probably going to need some major upgrades by Act 2 which will mean another shopping spree at the Auction House. With the gold flowing the way it is now, I'm probably going to be able to afford the more pricier items.

For now, I'm just going to continue merging gems together and ramping up my stats that way.

Defeated Diablo, Monster Power 1

Screenshots of my defeat of Diablo at Inferno Difficulty, Monster Power 1.

Jewels

I've been farming like crazy the past few months to pass the time while waiting for Reaper of Souls (click here for more details), mainly collecting items (mostly the legendary stuff) and gold.

Most of my gold however have been spent buying stuff on the Auction House to upgrade my gear to survive on Monster Power mode (I'm currently at Monster Power 1) and creating better jewels (which takes a lot of patience especially if you're not "buying" gold and relying mostly on farming to accumulate the required amount of money and Tome of Secrets).

The better quality gems I've got, I've already embedded on my socketed gear (which can be viewed here). Below are the other sparklies waiting in my inventory.

Legendary Items

I've started collecting strictly Legendary Items ever since they become, well...legendary.

There was a time when a Legendary Item was really no different from other stuff you found, oftentimes inferior which was a big let down to say the least since they are supposed to be awesome as the name suggests.

Those crap quickly found themselves sold in the Auction House, lemme tell you.

Thankfully, these days at least, most Legendary Items are pretty awesome though you still get the occasional lousy stuff but not quite as often as before.

Anyway, here's my stash thus far:

What's your inventory like?

Barbarian Profile

This is what my Barbarian is currently like.

Most of my character's major attributes is attributed more to my shopping prowess at the Auction House rather than useful drops though, to be fair, things have been better as of late.

You can check out my character and gear details here.

Reaper of Souls Gameplay Teaser

Malthael, the fallen Archangel of Wisdom, returns as the Angel of Death in Diablo III's first expansion set: Reaper of Souls.

Having seized the Black Soulstone and slain most of the guards protecting it, it now falls to players to track down Malthael and stop him before he unleashes irreversible havoc on the world. Fortunately, a new hero is ready to join the cause and bring Malthael to justice - the Crusader, a fierce melee warrior whose command of the battlefield is matched only by his unwavering conviction and uncompromising dedication to the Light.

Check out the gameplay teaser below:

Diablo III: Reaper of Souls

"The lords of hell rage within the Black Soulstone, their souls screaming for vengeance and release. Before the artifact can be sealed away forever, Malthael - Angel of Death - manifests in the mortal realms with a deadly new purpose: to steal the Black Soulstone and bend its infernal power to his will.

So begins the end of all things..."

Reaper of Souls is the expansion for Diablo III coming in 2014 according to the official website.

It features a new bad-ass character class: The Crusader packing "impenetrable armor, gleaming weapons, and heavy damage" which really sounds like the Barbarian to me only with more armor.

He's described by Blizzard as a "natural walking tank."

If it means more ass-kicking however, who am I to complain?

There's also a new act (Act V) featuring the sprawling streets of Westmarch and the ancient walls of the Pandemonium Fortress where you will battle with a host of deadly new enemies.

Reaper of Souls increases Diablo III's level cap to 70 (thank goodness), plus new spells and abilities for existing Barbarian, Witch Doctor, Demon Hunter, Wizard, and Monk characters.

But wait...there's more!

There's two new game modes: Loot Runs and Nephalem Trials, which are "designed to provide players with a highly replayable (and highly rewarding) end-game experience."

Check out the cinematic for Reaper of Souls below: